Brent Detwiler on the Change to Sovereign Grace Ministries

A Fair Question I think:

"SGM is no longer a family of churches like it used to be and people aren’t connected to the mission like they use to be. During our first 20 years we did Celebration Conferences and live Mission Presentations in every geographical region. It gave us a wonderful opportunity to be with the people and among the people. There was a tremendous sense of camaraderie. C.J. ended these conferences over my strong objection ... There used to be a real sense of family and personal commitment to our collective call. That is largely gone. SGM is a corporation. Now we have a Chairman, President, Board of Directors, Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws, and Ambassadors of Reconciliation. What happened to apostles, prophets, miracles, the restoration of the church and personal evangelism?".

Brent Detwiler - "Sovereign Grace Ministries Relocation Announcement" - SATURDAY, APRIL 21, 2012 AT 11:25PM

Rob Rufus on Apostles Safeguarding Ministry

"I believe the Church is not being safeguarded because of the absence of authentic apostolic ministry in the earth.  There are many apostles around, but I guarantee you that all that calls itself apostolic, is not.  The credentials of an apostle; signs, wonders and miracles should be a major part of their life and ministry.  If that's not a major thrust of their life - they might be an apostle but they are not operating in their gifts.  Wherever apostles go, churches will be planted".


Rob Rufus - "The 10 Ugly Faces of the Grace-Hating Spirit" - from "Living Grace" (2012) - New Nature Publications, Hong Kong.

Kathryn Kuhlman on Why God Sometimes Doesn't Heal

"Most of us have our own personal interpretations of how God should run the universe - based on our own limited personal experiences. Kathryn on the other hand, defied all tradition. She defied the boxes men tried to fit her into. When asked why many who were sick left her service unhealed, she would just shake her head and say; "I don't know - I just don't know". In fact she once said that the very first question she wanted to ask Jesus when she got to heaven was, "Why were some not healed?".

The theologians had answers. Hundreds of them. But the theologians never saw miracles. Kathryn, who was one of the greatest instruments of the miracle power of the Holy Spirit had no answers. "I have no healing virtue", she said over and over again. "I cannot heal a single person. All I do is preach faith. God does the healing. Whom He heals and whom He chooses not to heal is His business. I am, but His handmaiden".

Jamie Buckingham - "Daughter of Destiny - The Only Authorised Biography of Kathryn Kuhlman" - Bridge-Logos, Florida (2008 - 6th edition) - (p48).

John G Lake on a Passion for Healing

"A great cry to God, such as had never before come from my soul, went up to God. She must not die! I would not have it! Had not Christ died for her? … No words of mine can convey to another soul the cry that was in my heart and the flame of hatred for death and sickness that the Spirit of God had stirred within me. The very wrath of God seemed to possess my soul!".

John G. Lake - "Adventures in God" - p50-51 cited in Phil Moore - "A Healthy Theology of Healing" - Newfrontiers Theological Papers - 2008 - p15.

Rob Rufus on True Christianity

"We need to be supernaturally natural and naturally supernatural".

Rob Rufus - "The Joy of God" - City Church International, Hong Kong - Sunday 14th July 2004.

Rob Rufus on Encountering God

"The depth of the touch will determine the depth of the response".

Rob Rufus - "Sunday Morning Session" - "Miracle Weekend in Hong Kong" - Sunday 22nd June 2008.

Bill Johnson on the Purpose of Miracles

"One of the major functions of miracles and supernatural living is to offer immediate, irrefutable proof of what God wants to happen on earth. It demonstrates who God is by showing what His reality looks like".

Bill Johnson - "The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind" - Destiny Image, Shippensburg (2005) - (p34).

Bill Johnson on the Normal Christian Life

"I have come to see that the normal Christian life means miracles, spiritual intervention and revelation. It means peace, joy, love, a sense of well-being and purpose - all these traits that ellude so many Christians. Written into the spiritual DNA of every believer is an appetite for the impossible that cannot be ignored or wished away. The Holy Spirit, the very Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us, making it impossible for us to be content with what we can only see, hear, touch, taste and smell. Our hearts know there is much more to life than what we perceive with our senses; we are spiritually agitated by the lack of connection with the realm of the supernatural".

Bill Johnson - "The Supernatural Power of a Transformed Mind" - Destiny Image, Shippensburg (2005) - (p31).

Terry Virgo on the Supernatural in Church Today

"I do believe in this post-Christian era that there needs to be a breakout of the supernatural because we are back to Bible days! ... Sometimes we are saddened and shocked and not happy with the teaching that goes hand in hand with those who emphasise signs and wonders. The best answer is to preach it like it is and believe and trust God for it!".

Terry Virgo - "Stephen" - Main Session 3 - "Together on a Mission 2008" - Brighton.

Tom Schreiner on the Prophet Agabus

"Some (Wayne Grudem for example) have suggested that Agabus was mistaken for the Jews did not literally bind Paul and hand him over to the Romans. Such a judgement demands too literal a fulfillment of prophetic words. In the Lukan perspective the prophecy is fulfilled for Paul used some of the words of Agabus in describing his own arrest".

Thomas R Schreiner - "New Testament Theology - Magnifying God in Christ" - Apollos, Nottingham (2008) - (p447).

Tom Schreiner on the Spirit's Hindering Mission Advance

"On two occasions the Spirit hindered the speaking of the gospel ... even the Spirit's hindering work ultimately therefore becomes the means by which the Spirit directs His messangers to specific localities".

Thomas R Schreiner - "New Testament Theology - Magnifying God in Christ" - Apollos, Nottingham (2008) - (p446).

Tom Schreiner on the Spirit and Peter's Trance

"The Spirit's speaking to Peter should not be construed as a private existential experience. The Spirit directed Peter because he was the means to which the Gentiles would hear the Gospel. The point of the story is not the Spirit's private revelation to Peter. The Spirit speaks to Peter so that he will bring the gospel to the nations".

Thomas R Schreiner - "New Testament Theology - Magnifying God in Christ" - Apollos, Nottingham (2008) - (p445-6).

Tom Schreiner on the Spirit carrying Philip Away

"We note again that the Spirit's carrying Philip away is the means by which the gospel is proclaimed in new areas".

Thomas R Schreiner - "New Testament Theology - Magnifying God in Christ" - Apollos, Nottingham (2008) - (p445).

Tom Schreiner on Luke 4:18

"The text proceeds to say that Jesus was sent to free the imprisoned, to grant sight to the blind, to free the oppressed and to herald the grace of God. Such a gracious ministry is due to the work of the Spirit in Jesus' life. It flows from the Spirit's anointing. We should also observe that Jesus described the whole of His ministry here, so that every dimension of His work depended on the anointing power of the Spirit. Every good work detailed in Luke stems from the Spirit Himself. Jesus truly was the bearer of the Spirit, the Man marked out by the Spirit, the Man was uniquely strengthened by the Spirit".

Thomas R Schreiner - "New Testament Theology - Magnifying God in Christ" - Apollos, Nottingham (2008) - (p442).

Tom Schreiner on the Power Behind Jesus Ministry

"Such healing and exorcisms occured because "God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Acts 10:38). We note again the close association of the Spirit and power, as in Luke 4:14. The effectiveness of Jesus' ministry, His miracles and healings flowed not from Himself but from the power of the Spirit".

Thomas R Schreiner - "New Testament Theology - Magnifying God in Christ" - Apollos, Nottingham (2008) - (p442).

Todd Bentley on Open Heaven!

"When the heavens are open, we have free access to everything in the heavenly realms, a free flow of God's abundant graces and ministry power".

Todd Bentley - "The Reality of the Supernatural World" - Destiny Image Publications (2008) - (p169).

Rob Rufus on the Signs of an Apostle

"One of the signs of an apostle is signs, wonders and miracles. Not someone who talks about them or runs around the world trying to teach other people how to plant churches. Not someone who is a conference speaker or a co-ordinator but someone who actually goes into the frontline pioneering zone where the Gospel hasn't been and breaks in with signs, wonders and miracles! Another sign of an apostle is someone who speaks boldly the message of grace. It is not a title - it has substance behind it".

Rob Rufus - "Session 3 - Sydney Glory and Grace Conference" - 26th March 2008.

Rob Rufus on the Florida Outpouring Critics

"I don't want to listen to people criticising the Florida Outpouring if they are not seeing the same amount of healings. If you are against that then show me what you are doing! If all you can give me is head knowledge from the Bible then don't come near me - I don't want to be associated with you. You have a form of godliness but you deny the power".

Rob Rufus - "Sunday Morning - Miracle Healing Weekend" - City Church International, Hong Kong - Sunday 22nd June 2008.

Rob Rufus on Responding to the Touch of God

"The depth of the touch will determine the depth of the response and evidentially many Christians haven't been touched by His response because they are sitting in pews Sunday after Sunday and hindering the flow of the Spirit with their religious attitudes!".

Rob Rufus - "Sunday Morning - Miracle Healing Weekend" - City Church International, Hong Kong - Sunday 22nd June 2008.

Terry Virgo on Miracles Today!

"There are some who argue that signs and wonders ceased when the Scriptures were closed. But we believe God wants to do things to confirm and affirm his Word. Some are saying that it is not for today. Jesus told us that we would do the same things he did. He has received the Holy Spirit and all authority, and he now sends the Spirit and says, “Go and do the things that I do!”

Terry Virgo - "Main Session 1" - "Together on a Mission 2008" - Wednesday 8th July 2008 (HT: Adrian Warnock).